Charalambides rejects independence claims, Akel removes her from parliamentary group

Akel MP Irene Charalambides said on Tuesday her removal from the party’s parliamentary group was a unilateral decision by the leadership and accused it of undermining her character to fit a partisan narrative.

In a detailed public statement and subsequent social media posts, the veteran MP said she had “never expressed a desire to become independent” and stressed that she would retain her parliamentary seat.

“The decision to leave the parliamentary group was made by Akel’s leadership not I,” Charalambides insisted.

The dispute marks the culmination of months of strained relations between Charalambides and Akel, following the party’s decision to enforce its internal term limits ahead of the May parliamentary elections.

Akel party rules, revised in 2023, limits MPs to two terms, rendering Charalambides ineligible to run again on the party’s ticket as she is currently serving the third of three consecutive terms.

Charalambides said discussions on continuing cooperation outside parliament failed to progress despite two meetings with the leadership.

She described the party’s proposal as “general and vague” and said it was never put in writing despite her request.

“There was no evolution of this proposal in a five-month period,” she said.

“I asked for it to be put in writing after the last meeting, which did not happen.”

Charalambides added that Akel had pressed her for answers she was unable to provide, citing “very serious personal issues” that delayed any decisions on her future political path.

At the centre of the row is Charalambides’ parliamentary seat, which Akel has publicly argued political ethics require her to return it to the party, maintaining that seats belong to parties rather than individuals.

Charalambides firmly rejected that position.

“In our political system, MPs are elected by preference and not by ranked tier lists form the party,” she stressed.

“The requirement to resign from the parliamentary seat ignores and belittles the voter, who chooses not only the party ballot but also specific candidates.”

She warned that such demands undermine the role of the electorate and distort the nature of representative democracy.

Charalambides also took aim at the tone of Akel’s statements, saying she was “saddened by references aimed at eroding my personality” and by “characterisations that serve a partisan narrative aimed at polarisation and self-justification”.

“I will not follow the confrontation that is deliberately provoked,” she said.

Akel secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou insisted that the party had no intention of escalating the dispute.

On Sigma TV, he said Akel’s announcement merely set out the sequence of events and the effort made to continue cooperation “from other starting points”.

“We do not want war, but our political ethics and planning did not allow us to wait indefinitely,” Stefanou explained.

He confirmed that Akel had proposed alternative roles for Charalambides outside parliament, including the leadership of an anti-corruption body, an area in which she has been particularly active.

According to Stefanou, the framework proposal left room for Charalambides to submit her own counter proposals.

“As the elections approach, public statements and information that she was considering running on another party’s ballot intensified,” he said.

“We could not remain in wait while leaving open the possibility of facing her in the elections.”

Responding to Charalambides’ criticism, Stefanou questioned what she meant by references to attacks on her personality.

“Akel does not seek to offend anyone, but it does not accept being offended either,” he remarked, adding that the party had shown “great tolerance and persistence” in seeking to maintain cooperation.

The fallout also affects parliamentary committee leaderships.

Stefanou clarified that committee chairmanships belong to parties, not individuals, and confirmed that of the human rights committee, held by Charalambides, would pass to deputy chair Giorgos Koukoumas.

In recent interviews Charalambides has acknowledged considering a return to electoral politics outside Akel, while denying that any agreement has been reached with another party, particularly Odysseas Michaelides’ Alma.

“I have no agreement with any formation,” she refuted recently.

In a statement earlier on Monday, Akel’s political bureau described Charalambides’ stance as “unethical and offensive” to the party’s grassroots and said she had placed herself “opposite the party and outside” its parliamentary group.

“The party is not suitable for career seekers,” the statement said. “Politics is a matter of principles.”

Charalambides, who has served in parliament for 15 years, framed the rupture as a matter of conscience rather than ambition.

“A politician must choose whether to be accountable to their conscience and be ready to be judged for what they stand for,” she said.

“We are all judged, parties and individuals, by the way we conduct our politics, and especially through the vote of citizens.”